Love and War
by D-Money626
Summary: In the epic series finale to Series Four, Caan and Abel's plan comes to fruition surrounding a certain Time Lord citadel, while Rose prepares to meet her prophesized demise. "Don't ever underestimate a general."
1. Previously on Doctor Who Series 4

Previously on Doctor Who Series 4…

Rose winces against the floor grabbing her right leg. The Doctor asks worriedly, "What's wrong?"

"My leg. I was shot."

The Doctor explains to Martha, "Abel's been jumping around time following us based on your memories and the only way to see how the story ends is to follow the trail of time events itself."

Dalek Caan stands by Abel in a room, "The-Dal-eks-on-ly-know-one-way-of-life. Ex-ter-min-ate."

The Time Lord frightenly called out, "Rose! Dodge left!"

Abel does not show a hint of being intimidated as he addresses the Dalek, "You came to me asking ME for help. You need me; therefore, I am YOUR master."

"I-o-bey."

The Doctor stares out at a Time Lord citadel from the TARDIS completely unbelieving and terrified with Rose and Martha behind him.

Martha warns Abel, "Just when you think you have the upper hand Caan'll kill you."

"Not when I have something he wants, he won't."

The Doctor commands his companions, "Run!"

"This… this can't be here! No, there's no way! Everything is gone. This is impossible!"

Abel looks Rose in the eyes. "I'd much rather see the big bad wolf dead."

Martha comments, "What the…?" as a shadow of a large object above the skies passes over her and her companions blocking out the sun…

The Doctor mutters with a sense of foreboding, "Someone has been waiting for us."

Rose tells Abel, "The army. You're building up a whole fleet of Daleks."

The Doctor softly grins while touching a plane of glass. "I can feel it. It's so beautiful. I can sniff it and taste it and it's so sweet. I've missed this!

The Doctor tells Rose as if holding back a big secret, "You… that is you, Rose Tyler are going to die..."

A silvery wall suddenly surrounds the Doctor, Rose, and Martha individually before the scenery around them begins to faze out of existence. Now, a new location fills their vision of being inside golden painted walls on a ship in space with a window to the right full of a starry sky.

A gun is cocked and Abel's voice proclaims happily, "Welcome to the S.S. Bad Wolf."

Read "Caan and Abel," the previous installment in the three part finale if this trailer isn't enough background.


	2. A Deal With the Devil

A royal figure with blue skin regarded a couple of his subjects inside a building. "Whatever you do don't let them take the Time Lord weapon. They may be more advanced than us, but we are strong and I know how this will end. The Time Lord that was before any other left that receptacle in the citadel, and told my great grandfather that if it should ever be found nothing in the universe is safe. Especially, if it is found by a creature known terrifyingly as a Dalek…"

Above the planet below in a futuristic spaceship the Doctor, Rose, and Martha stood defenseless next to a whole group of soldiers pointing their guns at them. The suit and tie dressed man in front of them still wearing that wrist strap stood plain and tall grinning familiarly at them. It was the Time Agent, Abel, that they had been chasing across time itself.

Rose answered his rude greeting with disgust. "Bad wolf? Is that some type of crude joke?"

Abel laughed a little to himself. "Had to name it after my prisoners. The S.S. Oncoming Storm just doesn't have that type of ring to it and Martha doesn't really have a nickname short enough for a ring."

The Doctor asked, "You've been planning this for some time haven't you? You're trying to get in that citadel too. But why?"

"The legend revealed to me by Dalek Caan." Abel began to pace as he explained. "The end of the Last Great Time War erased all beings and proof of both the great Time Lord and Dalek civilizations, but there is a myth that something survived out of place as well as time. An artifact of some sort is hidden in that citadel that exudes time and there's only one man who can open it."

"I checked. Believe me I want to see it for myself, but there's no dial, no code, or anything. It's an impenetrable fortress."

A voice resonated from a nearby corridor. "You-will-help-us-Doc-tor."

Martha vocalized everybody's realization. "Caan."

Caan glided over near the crowd chillingly slow. When it stopped the Doctor noticed the wear and tear on the Dalek's body. Caan was the last of his kind and it showed as much as he hated and feared the creature. The Doctor almost felt sympathy for it; almost."Why would I help you, Caan? After everything you have done to me you think I would just…"

The Dalek cut him off. "I-was-not-ask-ing. You-will-help-us."

"If I don't?"

"Ex-ter-min-ate."

The Doctor looked to his left seeing Martha standing and to his right finding Rose. Helping Caan and Abel could be the biggest mistake he could ever make because whatever was behind that citadel could potentially end everything as he had known it. The Doctor couldn't believe himself, but he wanted to know too and if it meant saving his friends maybe he could turn the tables on these two later. "Fine. What can I do?"

Both women tensed not expecting that reaction as Abel regarded him with skepticism. "Ok. Caan has uncovered a code that will open the citadel. The lock is in time; coordinates only a genius could uncover."

The Doctor only half grinned at the compliment with a sense of regret as Rose asked, "And us?" She pointed to Martha knowing they were somehow involved as Abel looked on at them thoughtfully.

"The Doctor needs the TARDIS which I also transported into a supply closet down that hallway." He pointed to indicate. "For this to work it has to be powered to high capacity when he enters the correct code and you're probably more suited with the watchful eyes of my friend here." Abel indicated Dalek Caan. "As for Martha, well I need someone to lead the fleet to the citadel."

The Doctor realized the implications. "No, Abel! The Sirians down there will march a counter attack and I will not let you put Martha in the crosshairs like that! If you want a guinea pig, send me."

Abel smirked as he shook his head. "Oh ye of little faith, Doctor. Martha will be defended by the finest fleet in the universe."

On those words Martha was the first to notice the procession coming from around the corner as five newly minted and scratchless Daleks rolled into the room. One of them turned their eyestalk toward Abel announcing, "We-will-pro-tect-Mar-tha-Jones."

Just as all of three of them were thinking Martha voiced her skepticism stating the obvious. "But you're Daleks. You'd never sacrifice yourself for a human."

Caan spoke up. "Mar-tha-Jones-is-of-high-pri-or-ity-Dal-eks-will-o-bey."

The Doctor nor Rose believed these claims. "Hogwash. Since when do Daleks lie?"

Martha turned to the Doctor seemingly knowing something he didn't. "I believe them." She briefly looked over at Abel standing there almost grinning at her. Martha knew that, as weird as it sounded, the man's bizarre attraction to her ever since he learned her memories was something that couldn't be forgotten. It almost had to be played upon. "Abel will protect me."

Abel smiled genuinely. "With my life, so, Doctor, do we have a deal?"

"Suppose I don't have a choice?"

"Don't be silly. You always have a choice to die."

Rose muttered. "Bit morbid."

"Oh, Rose, you have no idea." Maybe she was being paranoid, but Rose began to think there might be more meaning behind those words.

Abel repeated himself. "Do we have a deal?"

The Doctor answered, "Deal," followed by Rose, Martha, and Dalek Caan also. The deal had been made and there was no turning back now…


	3. Three Little Words

After making the deal, it was clear what was to happen next. Team TARDIS had to break up into three different directions and not one of the three was very inclined into doing so. The Doctor especially despised the arrangement because Martha was going straight into a hell hole, and although Rose's task seemed simple enough it almost sounded too simple, like there was something sinister behind the plan. Although, he'd never let any Dalek nor Time Agent sans Jack aboard his TARDIS, so Rose was the logical choice in the end.

Martha broke the Doctor's thought process, saying his name.

"Martha, I…"

"Don't, it's beneath you." Martha grinned, almost making fun of some strong emotions. "No matter what happens, I love both of you."

Martha moved to hug both the Doctor and Rose. It was a communal hug, but each had a negative inkling that it might be the last time they all touched.

Martha pulled away from them, briefly turning the other direction to a standing Abel. The Time Agent strangely seemed rather sympathetic and not impatient like she may have thought him to be. Abel actually cared strongly about her, and in a way it made all of this so much easier since Tom could not be here.

Rose smiled at her friend of the last year who really had helped her more than she could ever realize. "Bring us back a souvenir."

Martha laughed a little at that. "Sure. See ya soon."

With that, Martha left as she fell into step with Abel leaving the Doctor and Rose alone staring at each other wordlessly other than the motionless waiting Daleks.

Rose broke the silence. "So, I guess I should, ya know, go."

"Yeah."

She moved to walk away before suddenly turning back having realized something. "Hold on! You gonna tell me what to do?" She laughed a little at their awkwardness.

"Oh, right, right, right, right, right." The Doctor had been thinking of something completely different. "Open up the grating where I'm always tinkering away on the far side of the console. Whatever you do don't touch the grating on the right front area. That could be bloody disastrous. Only the far side. Once you climb in there you're going to plug in this ship directly into the TARDIS. Simply do that and then just spin the rotator cuff on the console a half turn and the Pythagorean lever to its right angle and zing zang you're done." He swiped his hands for effect.

"Sorry, the rotator what and what kind of lever?"

The Doctor looked at her like she was stupid before saying slowly, "The blue circle thingy. Turn it with your arms halfway and then that yellow right triangle instrument needs to be turned on the angle that marks a perpendicular line."

"Right, thanks."

"Don't mention it."

"See you lata then?"

With a strong sense of foreboding, he answered, "You might not and that's what I'm afraid of."

"You?" Rose teased. "Who's afraid of the big bad wolf now?"

"That's exactly what I'm afraid of. Oh, Rose, look, back on that beach I was going to say something to you."

Rose tensed. She knew what was coming, but she never wanted it like this. It could only mean one thing. "That was when you thought that you would never see me again, and if that is the only time that you can ever say it then, I'm sorry, Doctor, but don't."

"Before you go, Rose, I just need to get it off my chest. It needs saying this time."

She enunciated clearly with almost anger this time, "It doesn't. Doctor, I don't want to hear it."

"Let me then." The Doctor leaned in towards, Rose initiating a kiss which she jumped right into as both their hands made their way into each other's hair for a couple seconds of pure passion. It was their first ever kiss done consciously by both parties without seismographs, time vortexes, or anything other than raw feelings. It was magic for them both, but as Rose pulled away her head fell and went right into the Doctor's shoulder crying desperately. Ever since the Doctor told her she would die on the TARDIS she told herself that she was ready. Rose could have been strong and lighthearted about it before, but the Doctor's passion spelled something way deeper than any relieved fantasies or dreams. She couldn't escape it this time. Death was certain.

"I'm sorry, Rose. I'm so sorry." The Doctor looked at her, almost crying with centuries of loss on his mind personified through her.

She pulled away, fighting accepting her demise with denial. "I already died earlier today in the Yonkers building when I got shot. I can die again."

"Not this time, Rose."

"And you're… you're really just going to let me die?" Rose wiped her eyes with her sleeve.

The Doctor sighed, defeated. "I don't know how it's going to happen. I just know that it is to happen and that there's nothing in the universe I can do to prevent it."

"Funny, I escape death not knowing it a hundred times in the span of just five years and then one day I walk right into it prepared for it. Irony."

The Doctor only half laughed at her attempt at a morbid joke with his emotions getting stronger knowing he was about to lose Rose forever. Rose cupped his cheek with a few more tears as she whispered, "I love you, Doctor," before turning around and walking back towards the TARDIS. Dalek Caan glided behind her following Rose leaving the Doctor in the room by himself. He looked over at the computers near him knowing that he had to solve an almost impossible puzzle with his heart having just left him for the last time…


	4. Into the Heart of Battle

Martha took a seat on the driver's seat of a small almost hoverpod as Abel leaned over her shoulder. As she strapped in Abel gestured toward the intimidating looking dashboard in front of her. "You know how to drive a twenty first century car, so flying one of these isn't too much different. Unless you encounter trouble I have it configured on automatic pilot. If something does happen flying is pretty easy. First switch off the automatic pilot with the green switch. You got a joystick for positioning right there. Speed up, slow down, and completely stop are those three switches there. You'll be planked by Daleks on your trip so if you encounter any attacks they'll mop it up for you. When you arrive, keep the headset on and wait for my signal. I need you to be my eyes and ears, oh, and... thank you."

Martha turned her head towards him confused. "For what?"

Abel sighed as if it was obvious. "Martha, I know that what you want to do is stop me and that may make you my enemy. I don't see it like that. You… you're different and I know I'm intruding here, but another time and another place…"

Martha took a quick look at the ring on her finger. Maybe it was nerves that she was about to fly some type of ominous hovercraft as part of a dangerous mission, but part of her actually could admit Abel rubbed her the right way. He was a bit strange, but that mystery was rather enduring as well as his good looks. Yeah, Martha may have taken to him if things were different and she didn't have Tom back home. The same Tom Milligan, who has no idea where she is right now. Almost to herself, but seemingly to Abel, Martha replied, "Even in war love shines through."

Abel grinned as he laid a hand on her shoulder. "You're gonna be alright, Martha. You're the only one that can say that."

A sly smile played across Martha's face. "I am still committed to stopping you though."

"Don't ever underestimate a general."

Abel climbed out of the transport and shut the door as the engines began to thrust. Martha was really about to fly down right into the planet below. It was a dream and a terrifying thought for a person of her time, but she was ready. She'd find whatever it is behind that citadel and she'd protect it by any means necessary.

A door opening to the space outside slid open as the hover craft sped out and the planet Sirius loomed large in front of her. This was a completely alien planet than the one Martha knew at home, and yet it was so massive and beautiful. As expected a platoon of Daleks soon was flanking her to the sides flying as if they were her allies. Martha was defenseless, but despite all of her preconceptions Abel really was in control and she was a piece he could not loose. The thought was a bit humiliating but she also took it as empowering. The ship began shaking, rattling Martha around as it and the Daleks began to plunge into the atmosphere below. This was going to be fun!

Fun was not a word that could describe the Doctor or Rose at the moment. In the TARDIS Rose carried a futuristic yet simple plug where the Doctor had instructed her to put it. Her heart and head were low knowing that very soon it would all be over. Still, something told her inside that maybe doing this menial task to help open the citadel would change everything rather than just count the minutes until midnight struck. Rose trudged on keeping herself from breaking down.

In a completely other room the Doctor frowned as he stared down a more perplexing task to the tune of a series of numbers on the screen. To break a lock in space was one thing but time was a whole other animal indeed. '5, 15, 1, 13, 7.' According the the schematics the numbers had came across randomly when Dalek Caan had tried to assess the citadel through time travel. The numbers were blocking him from even breaking the lock itself. Find out the meaning of the numbers and he would know what to do to break the lock.

For a minute he struggled, but suddenly the realization dawned on him. He knew immediately what he was dealing with and this could not be good. "No! It can't be! Martha! She can't…" The Doctor stepped back with his hands agonizingly on his head.

The decent for Martha through the Sirian atmosphere had felt like a rollercoaster ride but the craft leveled off as her decent slowed and the land of the planet loomed below. Except for the color scheme it looked so Earth like, but she couldn't focus on it for long. Trouble was on its way. The Sirians weren't going to make this easy.

In the air to the left came what she would describe as airplanes. Soon as the familiar yet strangely looking machines arrived, shots were fired in the air around her hitting some of the Daleks. The aliens seemingly absorbed the firepower, but Martha wasn't so lucky. The hover craft shook with intensity suddenly scaring her. They were clearly outnumbered by the Sirians as the Daleks began to fire back.

Martha flew through a sky full of blasting lights as if she was in some type of portal. She was flying through a full aerial battlefield. The Daleks began destroying several crafts providing great defense for Martha's craft. For a Dalek to defend her there was something very valuable in that citadel indeed.

More Sirian planes were struck making them explode in flashes of light but the battle was not yet done. Suddenly, a different weapon was shot from a Sirian vessel completely exploding one of the covering Daleks. Martha talked into her radio, "A Dalek just got shot!"

Abel's voice resounded with concern. "That's impossible!"

Martha searched her craft controls looking for something or any type of weapon to at least defend herself. "Is there any settings or anything I can use to defend myself?"

Abel's voice replied sadly, "No." Martha realized the truth that she was a sitting duck having to put all hopes on the Daleks.

The battle raged on with both Sirian aircraft and Dalek bodies blowing up in mini explosions. Shots flared all around her with most just barely missing Martha's craft. She couldn't die right here and right now. If Martha Jones was to die in this battle it would have to be while she piloted the craft. "I'm going to take off the autopilot. I'm sorry." With that she pressed the button to turn off the autopilot and firmly grabbed the joystick with sweat barrowing down her face.

Martha's initial downward adjustment allowed her to miss a blast as she noticed only two Daleks left and not many Sirians. One of the two Daleks exploded to her right leaving just one. Martha continued her path down moving left or right irregularly to miss any blasts. With hope Abel radioed, "You might make the citadel, Martha! Just keep trying to dodge those fires!" Out of the corner of her eye she saw the miraculous building below.

The last Dalek blew up behind her as two Sirian planes also were destroyed. Only one plane left and Martha was now a sitting duck. "I'm flying solo!" She dodged one fire but suddenly the back of the craft was hit hard. "I'm hit! I'm hit!"

Martha could hear Abel scream "No!" as she joined him. The craft's engines froze quickly and it as well as her in it rapidly descended toward the ground below. Her eyes remained wide ready to meet her maker until the ground filled her front screen and everything exploded…


	5. Casualties of Love

Abel shouted audibly as his communicator greeted him with static, "Martha! Martha!"

The Doctor quickly rushed into the room noticing Abel's response. As much as he knew he had to stop Abel from ending the world he had to begrudging accept that the man had feelings for Martha. Something had definitely gone wrong and because of Abel's reaction he was doubly concerned.

As soon as Abel caught the Doctor's eyes he looked away. "I… I killed her."

Unfortunately, the Doctor was not ready to forgive this man in the slightest. "You sent her into a battle she couldn't win. Martha, you sent Martha into this war!" There was no chance. Martha couldn't be really dead. He had to know because all this death was really beginning to hit home.

"She crashed, Doctor. The whole Dalek fleet, gone too!"

"It's all your fault, Abel! You with your dramatic plans to take over the universe. See where it gets you? You're just like the rest of them and then you take away the ones that I hold dear with you every bloody time!"

"I'm sorry, Doctor. She… she was the only one I couldn't let… She's the only one I couldn't spare."

"But you'll spare me? You'll spare Rose? You'll spare all your bloody soldiers and Daleks too? All for dominance? What does that bloody make you?"

"I was sure it'd be easy. There's no way the Sirians could have that technology."

"Do you know exactly what is in that citadel, Abel?"

"Caan tells me it's the key to everything."

The Doctor sighed. He knew exactly what was in there. "That's because it is."

Back in the TARDIS, Rose was beginning to finish up her work. Tears flirted in her eyes to fall as she stared at the walls around her. This might be the last time she set foot in the TARDIS as the ship seamed to hum emotions in response at her. Rose knew the TARDIS was alive and her relationship with the ship was indescribable. They had been one being at one time called the Bad Wolf and just like the other they would give their life up in a heartbeat if it meant saving their Doctor. Rose knew what she needed to do. It was time to march into battle herself.

Rose pressed a button on the console that the Doctor had once shared with her as a communication device and announced with as much strength as she could muster, "Ship is all plugged in, Doctor."

"Rose… Rose, Martha is. I mean, Martha, we…"

"What?"

"Martha just cra…" Suddenly, the Doctor's voice went up a level in excitement. "Crazely unbelievable! Don't worry about anything at all she's fine!"

Rose was utterly confused. "We knew that didn't we? Anyway, I'm ready when you are."

The Doctor barely heard her as he watched a nearby screen showing a blip back on the screen representing an alive Martha. With not even a thought he reached happily and hugged his enemy Abel with wonderful delight.

The Doctor spoke into a nearby communicator. "Martha! You're alright! You brilliant little women, you!"

Martha answered back with a playful confidence, "Course I am! Bit trashed about and a hard fall, but back up again. I'm ready for you to let me in."

The Doctor's playful demeanor was suddenly gone. "Only I won't. Don't go in there, Martha."

"But, Doctor. The Time Lords. What about the mystery?"

"The single greatest weapon ever discovered lays in those walls, Martha. Time itself can even be attacked. It can't be risked."

Abel's voice responded commandingly, "Except that you're still going to."

Martha responded. "Like hell I will, Abel."

Abel drew out his futuristic gun quickly thumbing it to click and bringing it right to the Doctor's temple. The desperation was back in his actions and a strong anger stared down the Doctor. "You… will… open…. that citadel… Doctor."

As soon as Abel commanded the Doctor both their eyes transitioned to the whirling sound moving into the room. Dalek Caan came in eyestalk positioning toward the Doctor. It knew something and the Doctor knew exactly what this foul abomination knew.

The gun may have been at his temple via Abel, but it was the Dalek he addressed saying, "All this time. You knew what was in there the whole time!"

"The-Doc-tor-is-clev-er."

With a slight humor the Doctor added, "And you fooled Abel here to help build you a small Dalek army to get you there who we both know are useless. The technology only allows them of any use to follow through with only direct commands. Absolutely no thinking for themselves. Only reason I'm alive is because of their incompetence."

"Cor-rect. Pres-ent-Dal-eks-are-weak-fu-ture-Dal-eks-will-be-su-per-ior."

Despite being insulted by the creature he trusted, Abel's gun remained trained on the Doctor's temple not saying a word. Nobody knew what the Time Agent was thinking because his face reflected pure stone.

"Hu-mans-are-pawns-to-new-Dal-ek-em-pire. Ent-er-the-code-Doc-tor-and-o-pen-the-Time-Lord-cit-a-del-now."

The Doctor could still feel Abel's gun in the back of his head ready to fire and Dalek Caan was trained on him as well, yet he would not budge and input the codes. They wouldn't kill him, but he could expect a lot of torture in his future. The universe was always more important to him than a little pain.

Suddenly almost out of nowhere Abel began laughing cruelly into the Doctor's side in response to his selfless bravery. "I was hoping that it wouldn't come to this. Check the feed coming from camera twelve over there."

One of the screens changed showing the TARDIS door ajar with Rose standing terrifyingly still. Her hands stood straight up defenseless staring at a couple men with guns standing just inside the ship's doors with their guns ready to shoot. The Doctor suddenly knew how the one he loved was going to die and only his decision could change the time lines he perceived.

Abel exclaimed victoriously as he removed his gun from the Doctor's head and put his gun back into its holster, "Checkmate."

Top of Form

Bottom of Form


	6. On the Eve of Destruction

Rose stood still with her arms in the air while staring her death in the face personified by a couple of soldiers pointing their guns at her. All that seemed to consume her thoughts was surprisingly not her fragile mortality, but rather regret with what her position could make the Doctor do. The TARDIS had even let the soldiers inside sensing the same timeline that the Doctor had sniffed. Rose was to die here and now and all she could say with a slight tear was, "Doctor, please let me die."

For a long while the Doctor stood incomprehensibly leading no clues about what he was about to do. It could even be assumed that he didn't even know himself. The Doctor's next words came as a surprise to even him as he said them. "All those years ago I was the boy that ran. I looked into the untempered skism seeing what is, was, and could ever be and ran as far as I could from it completely terrified. Nine hundred years later, and I'm still running. You see, Rose is supposed to die." Abel and Dalek Caan watched intently as both Rose and Martha continued to listen in. "At least that's what the timelines say and without Time Lords who am I to change what is to come?"

Abel half smiled. "Precisely, Doctor."

"Thing is once upon a time in a galaxy far, far away… Sorry, that's Star Wars. Great story, but don't get me started about the…" The Doctor trailed off as Abel looked at them in the weirdest way before recollecting his thoughts. "You see, my people used to live in time wasting away our days until a man by the name of Omega harnessed the power of a star and formed the first black hole. The device he used harnessed the raw energy of time itself and that's what you found down on Sirius. The Hand of Omega, which could give its holder the power that the Time Lords used to have. During Gailfrey's last days the legend went that a man with the short name Marlin hid it on a nearby planet instructing its leaders to never tell a soul because the masses would come for it just like they are right now. That's what the code hidden in time itself comes out to. 5, 15, 1, 13, 7, which spells O, M, E, G, A. The hidden code is the star itself that never existed in our great constellation of Kastaberous. Kaserrayalisa. Inputting that will open up the citadel."

Abel stood completely bewildered having not expected the revelation. "You know what you're doing, right?"

"I don't run from time anymore. Time runs from me!"

Dalek Caan responded, "The-Doc-tor-shows-his-true-col-ours."

Rose began to scream as if she had been begging for her life, "Doctor, no! Don't do this!"

Her pleas fell on death ears as the Doctor made his way over to the computer and begin to press buttons. "Martha, I'm inputting the codes into the time lock right now and it should unlock precisely in ten seconds."

Martha stood tall and ready staring at the motionless citadel for a few seconds not knowing what she was soon going to see. Hearing the conversation had made her feel on edge expecting Hell itself to be inside this thing, but a light rumbling broke Martha out of her thoughts.

The rumbling grew in magnitude before cracks began to form over the surface of the planet much like an earthquake. The citadel's walls before Martha shattered suddenly as a white light shot out of the building into all directions. Martha was immersed by it and began to walk toward it with complete anticipation. Soon she disappeared inside it…

Above on the S.S. Bad Wolf, Abel grinned at Dalek Caan. "Well, it's been real fun partner, but you didn't really think I'd share the powers of time and space with a Dalek did you? I've been using you every step of the way!"

If a Dalek could show emotion it was completely demonstrated as Caan screamed. "Ex-term-in-ate!" Caan took a shot in Abel's direction only to miss him and hit the ship's wall as Abel dematerialized while laughing in victory.

Rose immediately noticed that she was still in peril as the soldiers continued to stand armed and ready. "We did what you asked. The Doctor opened the citadel. Now let me go."

Caan and the soldiers remained silent as the Doctor realized what was to happen. With anger seeping within he addressed Dalek Caan, "You're still going to kill her, aren't you?"

Caan responded very stoically. "Bad-wolf." A second Dalek came into the room stopping in the doorway to block the Doctor from even thinking about running to save Rose.

Rose knew what the Dalek meant. Seemingly years ago full of the power of the heart of the TARDIS she wiped out an entire Dalek fleet including the Emperor from existence. She still couldn't recall the feelings or thoughts that went with the action to this day, but she knew she had done it all the same. This was her reckoning as Dalek Caan had been planning to kill her all along. At the very least Rose would die inside the TARDIS. It was the only solace to her fastly beating but terrified heart.

The Doctor was vivid. "We had a deal! Doesn't honor and integrity mean anything to the Dalek race anymore? You lot have always been brutal, but something I've always respected about you is your honesty. You lied, Dalek Caan! You are no Dalek!"

Caan's eyestalk met the Doctor with an intimidating gaze. "I-am-the-last-of-the-Cult-of-Skar-o. We-are-bet-ter-than-oth-er-Dal-eks-us-ing-en-emy-tac-tics-a-gain-st-our-en-e-mies. You-taugh-t-us-to-lie." The Doctor's shocked realization said it all.

Down below on the planet admist a white blinding light, Martha screamed as she was quickly grabbed roughly from behind by a male body. Her attacker whispered into her ear. "If you want to live you'll stay still." Abel drew out his gun and cocked it before putting it against the back of her head. "The Hand of Omega is mine."

Above on the S.S. Bad Wolf, Dalek Caan called out, "Ex-ter-min-ate."

With that, the two soldiers fired directly at Rose as her eyes readied for her ultimate and prophesized death while the Doctor was powerless yelling "No!" He couldn't even bring himself to watch it on the view screen…


	7. The Minute the Universe Stood Still

A couple minutes before, Abel held Martha from the back, his gun positioned against the back of her skull amidst the blinding white light all around them. The Hand of Omega was close to them generating an extreme amount of some type of unexplainable energy. "I'm going to release my arms and you're going to sit down."

Martha's first instinct was to be terrified, but for a second she had forgotten that she really had the upper hand. If he was going to kill her he would have done it already. Abel wanted her to believe he'd kill her, but Martha saw through the facade. The Time Agent loved her whether he'd fully admit it or not knowing her better than anyone had ever before, but the feelings weren't mutual and it was time to stop playing games. As Abel began to release his arms Martha brought her right leg back connecting with his groin.

Abel immediately doubled over, but in sheer anger pushed Martha hard on the ground before reaching down with one of his hands and spreading his legs apart. "You're going to pay for that, Martha!"

She began to get up. "I told you I would stop you!"

"Martha, let me have the Hand. We can be partners. You have to believe me, I was never interested in a Dalek army. With you we can make our species the best in the galaxy. We'd be the new Time Lords! Think of it. No more fights for survival, no more living in a third dimensions. We'd be gods!"

Martha retaliated releasing anger she didn't know she had pushing him to the ground and screaming, "Never," as Abel fell and hit his head hard.

She turned around calming down while staring at where the light radiated from the outline of what was supposed to be the Hand. It was almost shaped like a dumbbell but Martha couldn't be too sure. The object was so bright that she could never gaze at it fully, but this was the Hand of Omega. This was the object that everyone was fighting over. This was the object that could end the universe as she knew it. It was more impressive than even she may have dreamed it to be. Martha had to touch it and she instinctively laid a hand on it noticing that it did not burn her.

Suddenly, there was no sound around her and then she sensed it as the white light disappeared. Abel had been getting back up but he was frozen. A rock that had begun to fall from the roof hung suspended in the air. The world was frozen still and time had stopped. It was utterly impossible and yet it was completely fantastic. Martha had never felt this kind of power before so she laid her other hand down on the object and closed her eyes. She felt an urging need to sense it all.

Immediately, she became overwhelmed noticing everything and everywhere and it was just an ear splitting noise. She wanted to cover her ears and end it all, but she wanted to learn more.

The entire universe stood still and nothing anywhere was in motion. The people in the Sirian cities stood still, Earth was completely dormant, and the S.S. Bad Wolf sat in space just above the planet below. In the ship one of Dalek Caan's communicator's was lit up in mid conversation as the Doctor stood horrified looking at Rose's demise in the TARDIS. Two strikes of plasma stood suspended in the air mere milliseconds from striking a scared Rose. It was utterly horrifying seeing these scenes and Martha wished there was something she could do. It was right then that she knew.

In all the universe all motion seized and waited for her. Only it was waiting, anything and everything was listening. Creatures that Martha would never meet were listening. Blazing stars churning out hundreds of watts were listening. Rose was listening.

Martha cried out, "Rose, dodge left!" She remembered the words despite all of the other knowledge assaulting her from the universe. When the Doctor had touched the citadel only hours previously he had inexplicably screamed those very same words. The Doctor had heard her voice and had shouted the warning.

Martha began to sweat, continually baring the great burden on her body. She wouldn't survive too much longer under this strain. Despite how invigorating and empowering it all was she had to let go, so she did. Just as quickly as everything stopped, Martha removed her hands and everything moved again.

Rose reacted promptly, throwing herself down to the left onto the hard TARDIS grating as the two shock waves from the soldiers passed right over her body, striking the walls. She should have died, but she didn't. Rose had been given a second chance and this time she wasn't going to squander it.

With pure innate exhilaration, the blonde made her move running past the completely stunned guards into the corridors of the S.S. Bad Wolf. As she ran with shots in her wake behind her, she knew in her heart that she was supposed to die right there and something had made her live. If this was war, Rose believed that she was meant to do something great right now, but was unsure exactly what that was. Whatever it was it would find her first rather than she find it.

The Doctor stared astonished at the screen before voicing to whoever would listen, "I don't feel it anymore. One minute she was destined to die and the next it's like it was never meant to be."

Dalek Caan answered. "Time-has-been-al-ter-ed. The-Hand-has-been-grab-bed."

"Martha."

Martha's head was pounding purely assaulted by all the knowledge that took her at once. She couldn't remember a single shred of it but only knew how overwhelming it all had been. Everything had just been noise and none of it made sense. Abel got back to standing and noticed her discomfort.

"What did you see?"

"Everything. It was… it was just horrifying."

Martha stood still almost staring at nothing while Abel moved to hug her. "I'm sorry, Martha."

Martha knew that there was not one reason why he was sorry. It could have been for many reasons. Abel could have been sorry for threatening her, sharing the burden from the assault on her mind, or just sorry to see her so overwhelmed. Martha knew that the Time Agent loved her and had all this time. Still, it didn't make this any easier.

While Abel hugged her with regret she came back to awareness knowing the action that needed to be taken and grabbed the gun from his belt holster. She had to end it.

Abel released his compassionate hold on Martha completely perplexed and tried to grab it back from her, but she quickly aimed the piece at the Hand of Omega. No one was meant to ever have that kind of power, even herself. The Doctor was right when he warned her now dangerous it was.

Abel remarked, "You can't! If you destroy the Hand you may fracture reality as it is, and I know you don't trust me, but Martha, I don't know if we'll survive if you break it. We could both die."

"It's evil, Abel. I can't let anyone ever feel this. Not ever again."

Rose reached the end of a hall running into a dead end panting with the soldiers catching up on her. There was nowhere she could go and the new sight in front of her made her heart catch in her chest in fear. Before Rose was a room full of Dalek bodies. She was trapped with no way out, again, and this time she couldn't run away. The Bad Wolf looked to be truly ready to meet her end.

Martha fired the gun, smashing the Hand of Omega into a huge burst of power, as Abel dematerialized holding a regretful face before the world around her all went dark.

An explosion the size of the canyon on the planet Sirius below could be clearly seen from space and Martha was right in the center of it…


	8. Return of the Bad Wolf

Rose frowned as she stared forward at all the Dalek bodies. Time was running short with the soldiers gaining ground on her every second. The funny thing was she couldn't help but be preoccupied with these Daleks. They were motionless and had not been given life yet.

Before the blonde had been separated from the Doctor during his previous body, she learned much from the creatures. Her first meeting was with a lone Dalek lost in a bunker of Utah in 2012. She had touched it in sympathy making it absorb the power of the time vortex from her and renew its energy. The Dalek had murdered the countless soldiers protecting the underground bunker, but it had surprisingly refused to kill her. If Rose did it again could it work? It was beyond risky, but it was this or be a sitting duck for the soldiers to get her. Rose was never a sitting duck.

She raced to the Daleks before her in the room and began laying her hand on them one by one, burning herself each time. One by one the Daleks strengthened their wall and came to life.

Rose stared warily at the Daleks she had brought into existence, killing machines birthed by her own hand, as the soldiers came into the room with guns trained on her. And then it all went blue. Almost as a chorus the Daleks announced, "Hu-man-pres-ence-de-tec-ted. Ex-ter-min-ate! Ex-ter-min-ate!"

Rose noticed, eyes terrifyingly wide, that she was surrounded on both ends of the room by the Daleks she birthed on one side and the two soldiers on the other. How could she be so stupid? She'd escaped death just to die. Rose couldn't watch as several blasts filled the room...

Abel materialized on the bridge of the S.S. Bad Wolf with eyes solemn. He had to leave to survive before Martha foolishly destroyed the Hand of Omega. He hated it, but he couldn't stop her. The Hand was gone and after that explosion so was Martha with it. Sure they had no future together, but Martha had one hell of a husband and a rewarding job. He'd been in love because she was so complete and now… now she was gone.

Abel's reverie was broken when he noticed Dalek Caan moving toward him threateningly. He asked it, "What are you doing?"

"The-proj-ect-is-a-fail-ure. You-are-a-fail-ure. You-will-be-ex-ter-min-ate-d."

Rather than debate the Dalek for his life, Abel instead turned to the Doctor more terrified for someone else. "I'm sorry, Doctor. She destroyed the Hand and she died with it."

The Doctor knew it might be too late for Martha, but maybe he could save Abel's life. The Time Agent had been his enemy but nobody else deserved to die.

With a burst of desperate energy, the Doctor jumped forward shouting, "Noooo!" as the Dalek shot the Time Agent with its cannon making him light up and scream before falling to the ground as a pile of ash.

The Doctor had almost reached him, but was too late as he stared at the ashes of his enemy. This was a man that at first looked to be obsessive and revenge minded like any other villain he'd ever faced. What he learned instead was that Abel was just a large risk taker with a large heart for Martha. If there was such a thing as a good war general in his book this Time Agent was it. Now, he was set to follow in the man's footsteps via the same weapon.

"And-now-the-Doc-tor. My-great-est-foe. Dal-ek-Caan-will-be-res-pons-i-ble-for-the-death-of-the-last-Time-Lord."

"Will you kill me as carelessly as you killed your partner, Caan? Yes, you learned how to lie, and cheat, and steal from me, but what about honor? Don't I deserve a fighting chance if I am so mighty?" It was desperate but the words seemed to fall on deaf ears. Was this how the Doctor was going to die, as a fodder for the last true Dalek in the universe?

Suddenly, an explosion happened near them turning both of their attentions to the doorway. A body of a now headless Dalek sat near them.

Caan directed its attention on the Doctor. "What-did-you-do?"

With a shared desperation he answered, "I don't know. It's something else."

Footsteps approached them before they saw the force that destroyed that Dalek. The Doctor looked on in disbelief not believing his eyes as Dalek Caan turned its attention as well to the figure in recognition. The Time Lord properly grinned seeing the sight. It was Rose.

Rose walked in nonchalantly as if she had simply missed a right on the way to the loo. "Dalek Caan. Doctor." She winked suggestively at the later. "Fancy meeting you here like this!"

The Doctor still grinned back at her like an idiot saying nothing. Rose was so alive right now, but so very much in danger. He had to do something. There'd been way too much death today and above all he couldn't lose Rose now. Not after all that had happened. "Rose, run!"

She laughed like the idea was ludicrous. "Not running anymore, Doctor."

The Doctor couldn't comprehend it. For someone who had almost died three times in the past day she looked downright cocky. Save for when she had become the Bad Wolf she had never been this confident. Yet, there were no golden auras this time or miraculous powers about her. Rose was just Rose Tyler, but with a strong presence in the room like their current predicament were only small potatoes.

"The-Bad-Wolf-is-re-spons-ible. I-will-ex-term-in-ate-the a-bom-in-ation-once-and-for-all."

Rose turned and grinned at the Dalek still exuding the still unexplained confidence. "You'd like that, Caan, wouldn't you?"

"Why-do-you-not-fear? I-will-kill-you."

Rose walked closer to the Dalek making it back up just a tad and positioned herself intimidatingly so she could be directly seen by its eyestalk. "Thought you could control it all, aye, Caan? Daleks birthed by the hand of a time traveler, because you can't ever give anything the breath of life in that shell. You thought you could use Abel only planning to kill him in the end." She looked distastefully at the pile of dust assuming her theory was true. "But, know this oh mister big bad Dalek! He hid some Daleks without giving them life until they met another time traveler."

The Doctor interrupted. "Rose, you didn't?"

She nodded. "I so did and there's going to be one more death in this war, and it ain't going to me."

"Ex-ter…"

Dalek Caan suddenly stopped his battle cry seeing three newly created Daleks enter the room in synchronization. Caan realized the fact immediately. These Daleks felt completely wrong, more wrong than the ones birthed by Abel. "Dal-eks-will-kill-the-hum-an."

One of them answered. "No."

"Dal-eks-do-not-know-the-con-cept-of-no. Ex-ter-min-ate."

Rose stepped back away from Dalek Caan as he shot at one of the Daleks, she had birthed, making it explode while the other two fired back. With screams of defeat and agony the last pure Dalek in the universe exploded spectacularly…


	9. The Last Great Time Machine

The Doctor quickly moved to hug Rose holding her close following the explosion. She was alive after all the signs pointed to him once again losing her, but she was impossibly here. Rose buried her face in his shoulder thinking the same thing.

As they pulled away Rose asked with a little bit of trepidation, "How's Martha?"

"We… we lost contact with Martha a little while back. She's the one that saved us all. Look below at the planet."

Rose couldn't believe her eyes as she stared out the window at the planet Sirius below. A huge, newly formed, crater sat right where the canyon containing the citadel had been. Martha had been down there inside that citadel and Rose fought tears for her friend. "She can't. Not after all this. No. Please, Doctor. Not her…"

The Doctor forced a smile despite the emotional baggage. "Martha obliterated the strongest instrument of time that the universe has ever seen. The Hand of Omega is gone never to be seen or heard from again, but there's still one beacon that breaks the hold of time is this great big beautiful world. My TARDIS!"

Rose's sadness suddenly exploded into enthusiasm. "You mean…"

"Oh, yes! We're going to go back and save our hero Martha Jones! You were right, Rose! No more deaths anymore!"

Rose frowned suddenly as she looked out on the ship around her and the Daleks she had given life. "Only I was wrong."

"Sorry?"

"The Daleks, Doctor. Once we leave they'll sit here and the lack of orders or direction will drive them crazy. I know what drives me to live and if I didn't have that… well, I'm sorry but I won't let them live in this hell any longer."

"Rose, don't."

"I'm sorry, but I need to give them something better than life. I need to give them peace."

The Doctor wanted to fight her, but knew that in a twisted way she was right. Rose had changed from the young nineteen year old he once knew and it was more apparent now than it had ever been. He watched her leave him to walk up to the motionless Daleks with regret mixed in with a heroic step. Rose was becoming him in the best way possible.

"Daleks. Thank you. I have one more order for you. Will you follow?"

"We-o-bey."

Rose dropped a tear across her cheek. "It's time for you to get what you've always wanted. Time for you to be at peace. Time to die."

"Thank-you-hu-man."

"Call me Bad Wolf." She grinned a little at the thought. Rose turned around back towards her companion fighting the fact that she had just dammed a life. "Doctor, I think we can leave now."

The Doctor moved to leave as Rose walked by the still Daleks before leaning and planting a kiss on one of them. The kiss of death seemed appropriate.

The Dalek answered, "Why?"

She fought to smile finding its question a little humorous. "Thank you."

Rose left the Daleks behind and walked into the TARDIS to join the Doctor, closing the doors behind her.

The Dalek she had kissed voiced its last command, "Good-bye-cruel-world."

The TARDIS engines ground than faded as it dematerialized when the Daleks and the S.S. Bad Wolf exploded spectacularly above the planet Sirius below…

In a completely blinding white light filled citadel containing the last artifact that survived the Time War, Martha and Abel stood. Martha fired the gun she was holding, smashing the Hand of Omega into a huge burst of power, as Abel dematerialized holding a regretful face. Engines began to faze into existence along with a blue box with a door open as Martha was blasted backwards. Everything than went black as the citadel exploded.

Martha awoke much later blinking open to see a very concerned Rose hovering over her in the TARDIS. As soon as her companion noticed she was greeted with a wide grin and enthusiastic relief. "Doctor, she's alright!" As her vision began to clear its haziness Martha noticed the Doctor join them by crouching down next to her. His smile held a weight of proudness and relief for her. Martha couldn't help, but grin back.

"How long was I out?"

"56 minutes, 23 seconds, 12 milliseconds, and some change." Martha laughed at the Doctor's absurd pin-point accuracy. "You asked, didn't you?"

"What happened?" Martha had blacked out after shooting the Hand and then found herself waking up in the TARDIS. It all really didn't make any sense. "How did you…"

Rose answered, "You saved us, Martha Jones. You saved the whole universe. Saved me too I should add."

Martha laughed a little. "I really am quite brilliant aren't I?"

The Doctor playfully interjected, "Well, I wouldn't venture to say you're the most brilliant one in the room, but all the same… thank you! Course it's time for you to return to that vibrant life of yours, Martha. Got a great job, a loving family, a husband, and oh what was that blokes name again… It's Klom, right?"

"Tom."

"Exactly, Klom."

Rose jabbed the Doctor playfully. "Don't mind him. Always doing that you are, Doctor. Can't bear to see a woman in your life have another man."

Martha rose up slightly exclaiming, "Come here you big lug!" She embraced the Doctor in a hug before releasing him and adding, "And it's Tom." She turned her attention to her blonde friend. "Rose." The two embraced before Martha released her and everyone got up to stand.

"So I guess you two will be staying here. Living that life of yours. Danger around every corner and yet beauty between every crack?"

The Doctor grinned. "That'd be the one."

"Don't forget me then in between those cracks. Both of you, because I know I never will."

"Never forget a companion, me." The Doctor pointed to his head. "I got years and years of brilliant people giving me strength every day and you'll always be one of them."

"And you, Rose. Ever going to leave and get started with your life after this bloke?"

Rose looked over at the Doctor as if he knew the answer, smiling a little at him and laughed. "Can't get rid of me. Believe me, he's tried." A loving smile began to penetrate. "But I always find my way back home."

Martha nodded in agreement. "Good. I'm glad he's got you."

Rose moved to wrap herself around Martha hugging her one more time as the Doctor stood idly by watching. As they once again parted Martha moved to walk out and leave the TARDIS for the last time. "Goodbye you two!"

The ship's doors closed behind her leaving its two occupants, the Doctor and Rose behind. It was now time for them to continue their life, and as complicated as it was Rose knew that she'd made the right decisions to get her to this point. She really was home even if her mother, father, Mickey, and younger brother Tony were a whole universe away.

"Suppose I should begin teaching you to fly her. After all, you're going to be here a long time sounds like."

"As many lessons as it takes."

The Doctor made his way to the console's controls beginning to flip levers and turn dials. "Oh there will be quite a few just so you know, but lesson number one is that you have to do everything I say. Don't want you blowing up any galaxies by mistake, and B the time vortex is your friend, and trece… why are you looking at me like that?"

Rose laughed as she shook her head. "I love you."

The Doctor grinned back then grumbled like his ninth incarnation might have, "And I do suppose, well, that I may, well, I… love you too. Oi, stop glowing at me like that! I don't like to be glowed at!" The TARDIS engines began to pulse louder and louder as it drowned out the Doctor's attempt at a lesson and Rose attempting to follow impossible orders. "Now spin that turquoise dinosaur egg to the right and press that magenta button way over there, and always, always remember to check the…"

Coming Soon: "The Christmas Myth" and Series 5 featuring the addition of new companion, Andrew! Favorite me as an author to stay up to date when all is posted!


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